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The Golden State Warriors play their second game of a back-to-back when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. The Warriors will attempt to break their losing skid against the Chicago Bulls on Friday night, but it won't get any easier on Saturday night. It is time to continue our NBA odds series with a Warriors-Bucks prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Warriors reached their lowest point in a decade Wednesday night, losing 141-105 to New Orleans. It was their third loss in four games, and the loyal Golden State fans booed them off the floor. They have lost six of their last eight games and struggled in wins over the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic. There are rumors that everyone except Steph Curry is in play on the Warriors roster before the trade deadline. The Warriors will soon get Draymond Green back from suspension, but that is the only bright spot on the horizon. Golden State is starting to appear in plenty of rumors, with the big names on the block for the trade deadline.
The Bucks are going through the same issues, but they got it back on track with a blowout win over the Boston Celtics on Thursday night. The Bucks are just 5-5 over their last ten games, as the team struggled on a road trip. They dropped two straight games to the Pacers and lost to the Rockets and Jazz during that rough stretch.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Warriors-Bucks Odds
Golden State Warriors: +10 (-110)
Moneyline: (+410)
Milwaukee Bucks: -10 (-110)
Moneyline: (-550)
Over: 246.5 (-110)
Under: 246.5 (-110)
How to Watch Warriors vs. Bucks
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Warriors Could Cover The Spread
This game of two struggling teams may not be pleasing to watch. There isn't much to like about the Warriors, as they struggled to cover in three-straight games and have a chance to make it four-straight against the Bulls on Friday night. The Bucks have a 26-12 record this season. However, their against-the-spread record is 16-21-1. The Bucks are managing to win games, but they haven't been doing it convincingly.
The Warriors may get a boost from the return of Draymond Green. He is ruled out for the Bulls game on Friday night, but they are taking it on a day-by-day basis. As predicted, with Damian Lillard in and Jrue Holiday out, the Bucks' defense is struggling this season. They are 24th in the league in scoring defense, allowing four more points than the league average. The Warriors' offense isn't as lethal with Chris Paul and Draymond Green out of the lineup, but they still rank 10th in scoring offense. Golden State's offense bests the Bucks' defense in almost every statistical category.
Why The Bucks Could Cover The Spread
The Bucks offense isn't afraid of the Warriors. The Warriors haven't been playing as good offensively as of late, and the Bucks are among the best in the league. The Bucks rank second in scoring, averaging 124.4 points. They rank top-15 in every offensive category, with their most impressive being field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and per quarter scoring. Some teams have a specific quarter where they don't perform as well due to rotations and other factors. The Bucks average over 30 points in every quarter. Their depth keeps coming at you in waves, and the Warriors don't have the defense to combat it or the mindset to persevere.
The most impressive part of the Bucks' win over the Celtics was that Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't their leading scorer. Bobby Portis led the team with 28 points, while Giannis played limited minutes in the second half and tallied 24 points. No player on the Bucks played 28 minutes, which means the Warriors will face a rested Bucks team.
Final Warriors-Bucks Prediction & Pick
The Bucks' win over the Celtics on Thursday night was the worst-case scenario for the Golden State Warriors. The Bucks lacked confidence recently, but a blowout win over the best team in the NBA will do a lot for the team's morale. We know about the Warriors' struggles, and they will face a red-hot Chicago Bulls team on Friday night. Even if the Warriors get back on track and beat the Bulls, it won't be easy to get back up for this game against the Bucks. The biggest positive from the Celtics game is their smaller workload due to the blowout. None of the Bucks played 28 minutes, which means they will be fully rested, while the Warriors play 24 hours earlier and need to travel.
Final Warriors-Bucks Prediction & Pick: Bucks -10 (-110)
